When was the last time you started anything in silence? Most mornings, I’m greeted by the noise of a truck driving by, the alarm on my phone beeping, and my kids playing games in the living room. Silence doesn’t always happen organically. We occasionally need to work to create some silence around us. Today, we will create silence to start our worship. There will be no prelude, announcements, or handshakes. Instead, we are invited to show up as we are, in silence. The Good Friday liturgy isn’t designed to break that silence. Instead, we’re invited to live into it. Every word we speak, song we sing, and prayer we offer is a reminder that God, through our crucified savior, is filling even the silence with something new.

I invite you, over the next 36 hours, to notice the silent moments in your life. Track those moments when you can’t hear the birds outside or cars driving by. See how long those moments last. And while you reflect on the silence, use that opportunity to pay attention to what you’re experiencing. How are you feeling? What are you sensing? What fear, anxiety, or worries are bothering you? What joy is filling your soul? Good Friday is a day when we discover who we are and who God is. We shouldn’t rush to Easter. We should spend time with the horror, suffering, and grace in the Passion of Jesus. Hold onto the silence you hear. Pay attention to yourself. And let’s get ready to meet the God who is already filling your life with mercy, hope, and love.